A FARMER'S DIARY by CHARLES HENRY CUSHMAN Submitted by Max B Cushman MAY 1896 01 I went to town Boys Plowed I finished Trimming Hedge by Haxby rain and hail 02 I Plowed and cut stalks Boys went to Kewanee at night nice day 03 Sunday Bred Rockys Mare 04 Plowed nice day. 05 Plowed finished on 80 nice day burned Hedge Ella came 06 Plowed and Pulverized nice day 07 Planted Corn on 80 nice day 08 Planted nice day 09 Planted and Harrowed and clod smashed 10 Sunday Eds, Ad, Irvces and Hank McCully was here 11 Planted Harrowed and clod smashed 12 Jack plowed Harry Pulverized Rodericx trimmed Willows Lydia and Ella went to Annawan Burr stuck rake tooth in foot 13 Helped Rocky shear sheep Jack planted south 20 Harry planked and pulverized Rocky paid me .50 and I paid it to little Pete 14 Plowed and Pulverized buried stone rained Bess had Colt 15 Plowed Pulled Morning Glories W.Haxby was in field awhile Lydia and Ella went to Kewanee got rabits Bred Gip twice Folks all went to Basket Picnic to Preachers nice day signs of rain at night 16 Plowed and Pulverized replanted some corn worked some in wind Jack and Harry went to Annawan at night 17 Sunday nice day rained some at night 18 Piled brush and burned Ella went to work for Ida Leay, bit rain at night, Mrs Rocky was up altered Calf 19 Took load of Oats to Mineral had 44 bu got 15 1/2 cts. Got 4 sacks of flour for $4.00 did not pay for it Jack and Harry went to Geneseo to a show Sold my Sow to Smit for 3 cts delivered tommorow Saw a member of the Board of Trade and he says a farmer will make the most money 9 times out of 10 if he will sell his grain as soon as he harvests it. He says reports come from all over Iowa too much rain, and says he never saw a better prospect than there is in Ill. Says the Chinch Bugs were terrible bad in the southern part of this State but the heavy rains have done them up, he advises farmers not to sell their corn yet, nice day looks rainy at night 20 Plowed Potatoes and some corn I took sow to town rained hard in streaks 21 Plowed corn part of day Rodrick went Home I paid him $12.00 nice day 22 Plowed and harrowed Insurance agent here I took 2,000 for 5 years for $30.00 nice day Irve and Vesta here at night Bred Bess 23 Plowed and Harrowed Planked and Planted some on north 40 Bowen was here nice day. Bred Maud 24 Sunday Mother Nell and Irves were here nice day 25 Planted some Plowed some corn and Harrowed some was down to Jims Modest was in the field awhle nice day 26 Plowed and Harrowed Jack went to Kewanee lost 1/2 day nice day 27 Mowed yard and replanted corn rained 28 The Boys plowed corn and planted I went to Fathers with J. Rocky to get pasture for his cows he pays one dollar each for Cows and 25 cts for Calves if not in too long but if in till fall he pays 50 cts for the Calves per month I replanted some corn. Billy Eyre came at night and Bred his mare W. Shaw came with him nice day two small showers come up and it turned cool at night 29 Finished Planting Plowed corn Bowen brought two loads of poles ouet Lydia went to Kewanee Ella came Home with her J. Rocky brought mare up nice day 30 Finished plowing corn on 80 first time helped J. Rocky take Cows to Fathers all went to Anawan in afternon nice day Paid 2.50 J. Alden was assessor 31 Sunday Went to Fathers Owens were there and Dick Cherry George Barton and Ina were there, J. Rocky was up at night nice day Bred Pony mare for young Harm Burwell stayed to Fathers and is going to Galesburgh tonight with George Barton
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